Bin control for an ice maker



W. J. BUCHSER BIN CONTROL. FOR AN ICE MAKER Oct 28, 1969 2 sheets-shet 1 AFiled umh e, 196e INVENToR.

, WILLIAM J.BUcHsER BY f/m, fg/m, JM np. auf.

ATTQBNEYS.

W. J. BUCHSER `BIN CONTROL FOR AN ICE MAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6. .1968

FIGS

United States Patilt o F 3,474,637 BIN CONTROL FOR AN ICE MAKER William J. Buchser, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation Filed Mar. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 710,840

Int. Cl. F25c 1/10 U.S. Cl. 62-137 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A weight sensitive device for controlling the operation of an ice body maker as a function of the quantity of ice bodies collected in a storage container and the presence of the container in harvesting position. The control includes a switch and a cam carried by a support for the storage container for controlling the operation of the switch. Two adjustable springs are provided for adjusting the control to sense the presence of a full container, or the absence of the container.

This invention relates to automatic ice body makers and in particular to means for controlling the operation of automatic ice body makers,

In one known form of automatic ice body maker, ice bodies are formed in a suitable mold and delivered therefrom into a suitable collecting bin, or container, in an automatic harvesting operation wherein the ice bodies are freed from the mold and transferred from the mold to a collecting bin. A number of different devices have been developed for sensing the quantity of ice bodies so delivered into the collecting bin to effect an automatic discontinuation of further ice body making when the bin reaches a desired full condition. Further, a number of different devices have been developed for discontinuing the operation of the ice body maker when the collecting bin is removed from the harvesting position, such as when the bin is removed from the refrigeration apparatus. The present invention comprehends an automatic ice body maker having an improved means for providing the above discussed control functions.

Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved ice body maker.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such an ice body maker having a new and improved means for controlling the operation thereof.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such an ice body maker having a new and improved weight responsive means for controlling the operation thereof.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such an ice body maker wherein the Weight responsive means includes cam means movable as a function of the disposition of the ice body container, and switch means operably controlled by the cam means.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such an ice body maker having new and improved biasing means.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such an ice body maker including new and improved means for manually adjusting the action of the biasing means.

3,474,637 Patented Oct. 28, 1969 Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such an ice body maker having new and improved means for supporting the container in association with the control means.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection With the accompanying drawing:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary side elevation of an automatic ice body maker having a control means embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the control means;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the ice body maker; and

FIGURE 5 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuitry of the control means.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, an automatic ice body maker generally designated 10 is shown to comprise a mold 11 carried by an electrically operated mechanism 12 for forming and delivering ice bodies to a subjacent collecting bin, or container, 13. The control 12 functions to free the ice bodies from the mold 11 and effect a harvesting thereof by transferring the ice bodies to the container 13. As shown in FIGURES l and 4, the container `13 is carried on a shelf 14 provided with a bar 15 slidably received in a track bracket 16 adjacent one side of the container, and a bar 17 to which is clipped a plastic slide member 18. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 4, the container 13 is pivotally mounted by means of the rod 15 on the bracket 16. The slide member 18 is carried on a support 19 of a control 20 thereby to support the container 13 in cooperation with bracket 16 in a substantially horizontal position as shown 4in FIGURES 1 and 4.

The structure of control 20 may best be seen by reference to FIGURES 2 and 3 wherein support 19 is shown to include a pivot portion 21 mounted on a pivot pin 22 carried in a housing 23 to project upwardly through an upper opening 24 of the housing, as best seen in FIG- URE 2. The support 19 is biased upwardly against the slide 18 by means of a leaf spring generally designated 25 having a rst leg 26 bearing against the underside of support 19, and a second leg 27 selectively received in a plurality of spaced slots 28 in the bottom wall 29 of the housing 23. The support 19 is further provided with a depending spring retainer 30 at its distal end. A relatively stiff coil spring 31 extends from about retainer 30 to a cup member 32 which is threaded on a stud 33. The stud 33 is adjustably secured in the bottom wall 34 of the housing 23 by an adjusting screw 3S and a locking hex nut 36. The screw 35 is retained against rotation after the stud 33 is suitably adjusted, by means of a cap 37 cooperating with a stop 38 on the bottom Wall 34.

A single pole, single throw switch 39 is mounted on the housing 23 and is provided with suitable electrical leads 40 for connection to the electrically operated control 12 (as shown in FIGURE 5) for automatic control of the ice making and harvesting operation of the-apparatus 10. As shown in FIGURE 2, the switch 39 includes an actuator 41 which effectively defines a follower cooperating with a cam 42 for an automatic control of the switch. The cam 42 is cairied on the support 19 by means of a depending support 43 and is provided with a cam surface 44 including a lower high portion 44a, an upper high portion 44b and a middle low portion 44C.

As indicated in FIGURE 3, the control 20 may be readily removably installed on the liner 46 defining the refrigerated space in which the collecting bin 13 is maintained. Thus, the housing 23 may be provided with a pair of bosses 47 and 48 through which suitable screws 49 and 50 may be extended to secure the control to the liner. As shown in FIGURE 2, the bosses may be provided with elongated openings 51 to permit adjustability of the mounting of the control 20 on the liner 46.

As indicated above, the shelf 14 is installed by sliding the rod 15 in the track 16 to bring the slide member 18 into overlying relationship with the support 19 as shown in FIGURES .l and 2. The spring 25 is adjusted with container 13 in place on shelf 14 so that the cam 42 will be positioned as shown in FIGURE 2 with the container 13 thusly installed and with no ice bodies disposed therein. The stud 33 is adjusted so that spring 31 has no effect on this condition. Should the container 13 be removed from the overlying relationship with the control 20, spring 25 urges supports 19 and 43 upwardly thereby to bring cam portion 44a into alignment with the switch actuator and thereby permit the switch to open and discontinue operation of the electrical mechanism 12. Thus, no ice bodies may be delivered from the mold 11 when the container 13 is removed from the position shown in FIGURE 1.

Assuming that the container 13 is installed as shown in FIGURE 1, the delivery of ice bodies from mold 11 thereinto will cause the total weight of the collecting bin and ice bodies to overcome the spring 25 and urge the support 19 in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 2 against the combined actions of springs 31 and 25. Spring 31 is adjusted by means of the screw 35 to permit the cam 42 to move downwardly under the inuence of the accumulated weight until the actuator 41 is engaged by the upper high side 44b of the cam surface 44, thereby to open the Vswitch 39 and discontinue further operation of the electrical mechanism 12. 'Ihe adjustability of the stud 33 permits this operation of switch 39 to be readily adjusted to correspond to a preselected full condition of container 13.

It will be readily understood that cam 42 moves through a range of positions and that switch 39 is actuated at the extremes of the range to discontinue ice maker operation.

Should the user remove a quantity of ice bodies permitting the spring 31 to urge the member 19 upwardly to redispose the cam sufciently upwardly -to permit actuator 41 to reclose switch 39, re-energization of the electrical mechanism 12 is effected, thereby permitting further forming and delivering of ice bodies from mold 11 into container 13 to replace the quantity so removed.

The improved control 20 permits accurate adjustment of the balancing of container 13 in the empty condition by spring 25 and the accurate sensing of the full bin condition by the adjustability to the disposition of coil spring 31 providing an improved accurate ice body harvesting control. By means of cam 42, an improved simplified control of the switch 39 is obtained. By virtue of the simple cam surface 44 structure, long maintenance-free life of the control may be obtained.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are dened as follows:

1. In an automatic ice body maker having an ice body storage container and electrically operated means for delivering ice bodies to said container, control means comprising: support means for supporting the container; cam means having a slide surface, said cam means being carried by said support means in a preselected path between extreme positions; means for biasing said cam means toward one of said extreme positions; and switch means electrically connected to said ice making means, said switch means being disposed adjacent said cam means and having a follower slidably engaging said cam means surface for operating said switch means for selectively energizing and de-energizing said ice making means, said cam means being arranged to operate said switch to deenergize said ice making means when the quantity of ice bodies in said container is at least a preselected quantity sufficient to overcome said biasing means to dispose said cam means adjacent the other of said extreme positions and said biasing means being arranged to disposeA said cam means adjacent said one of said extreme positions when the container is removed from the support means to de-energize said ice making means, and said cam means being arranged to permit said switch means to energize said ice making means when said container is carried on said support means and the quantity of ice bodies therein is less than said preselected quantity, said biasing means having a first spray means operative to control the movement of the cam only when the container is on the support means.

2. The ice body maker means of claim 1 wherein said cam surface is substantially symmetrical about a midportion thereof and said follower engages said midportion when said container is carried on said support means without ice bodies contained therein.

3. The ice body maker means of claim 1 wherein said switch means comprises a single pole, single throw switch.

4. The ice body maker means of claim 1 further i11- cluding means for slidably supporting said container at a position spaced from said support means.

5. In an automatic ice body maker having an ice body storage container and electrically operated means for delivering ice bodies to said container, control means comprising:

support means for carrying the container;

cam means moved by said support means in a preselected path between extreme positions; switch means electrically connected to said ice making means, said switch means being disposed adjacent said cam means and having a follower engaging said cam means for operating said switch means for selectively energizing and de-energizing said ice making means to de-energize said ice making means when the quantity of ice bodies in said container is at least a preselected quantity to dispose said cam means adjacent one of said extreme positions and when the -container is removed from the support means to dispose said cam means adjacent the other of said extreme positions, and to energize said ice making means when said container is carried on said support means and the quantity of ice bodies therein is less than said preselected quantity to dispose said cam means intermediate said extreme positions;

first, relatively weak biasing means for urging said support means to adjacent said other of said extreme positions; and

second, relatively strong bia-sing means for controlling the disposition of said support under the weight of the ice bodies in said container.

6. The ice body maker means of claim 5 including means for manually adjusting said rst biasing means for varying the urging force thereof.

7. The ice body maker means of claim 5 wherein said second biasing means comprises a stiff spring.

8. The ice body maker means of claim 5 further including means for manually adjusting said second biasing means for varying the movement resisting characteristics thereof.

9. The ice body maker means of claim 5 wherein said rst biasing means comprises a leaf spring and means References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS for selectively retaining one end of the leaf spring in 2891385 6/1959 Nlson 62-137 any one of a number of different preselected positions for 5 33081632 3/1967 Wmeld 62-137 t o l osgidrraillng. one of a number of ditelen brasmo forces WILLIAM E. WAYNER Primary Examiner 1l). The ice body maker of claim 5 further including U.S. Cl. XR.

means for independently adjusting each of said rst and 20G-61.2 second biasing means. 10 

